Ventilated stackable animal cages

ABSTRACT

An animal cage made of a fiber impregnated plastic or other suitable material having impermeable side, bottom and end walls and a permeable hinged door closing the front end thereof. The top portion of the cage is similarly integrally formed but has at least one upstanding hollow integrally formed rib therein which serves to support a cage stacked vertically above and includes openings in the side portions of the rib permitting a ventilating air flow therethrough. A plurality of cages may be used in a back wherein they are stacked in vertical rows with their front portions substantially planar. Sealing elements may then be placed round the front of the cages forming a solid wall and and the area behind the wall may be closed forming a plenum, which with the addition of an exhaust fan draws any objectionable odor through the rear of the cages and out of the building, while simultaneously preventing stagnant air buildup.

United States Patent [1 1 Connelly [451 .Iuly 31, was

[ VENTILATED STACKABLE ANIMAL CAGES [76] Inventor: Richard L. Connelly,9142 N.

Mercer Way, Apt. 89, Mercer Island, Wash. 98040 [22] Filed: Jan. 28,1972 [21] Appl. No.: 221,562

[52] U.S. Cl. 119/19, 119/17 [51] Int. Cl A0lk 01/02 [58] Field ofSearch 119/17, 18, 15, 22, 119/19 [56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 3,220,383 11/1965 Brunet 119/17 2,335,173 1l/l943 Corey 119/213,087,458 4/1963 Bennett, Jr. 119/17 Primary Examiner-Hugh R. ChambleeAttorney-Richard W. Seed, Benjamin F. Berry and Robert A. Jensen et al.

[57] ABSTRACT An animal cage made of a fiber impregnated plastic orother suitable material having impermeable side, bottom and end wallsand a permeable hinged door closing the front end thereof. The topportion of the cage is similarly integrally formed but has at least oneupstanding hollow integrally formed rib therein which serves to supporta cage stacked vertically above and includes openings in the sideportions of the rib permitting a ventilating air flow therethrough. Aplurality of cages may be used in a back wherein they are stacked invertical rows with their front portions substantially planar. Sealingelements may then be placed round the front of the cages forming a solidwall and and the area behind the wall may be closed forming a plenum,which with the addition of an exhaust fan draws any objectionable odorthrough the rear of the cages and out of the building, whilesimultaneously preventing stagnant air buildup.

8 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In dog pounds,kennels and veterinary clinics, because of the necessity of economizingupon space, cages to hold animals traditionally have been stacked. Thestacking of cages presents a plurality of problems. One of the problemsis the disposal of waste products, a problem which was substantiallysolved by the cage which is the subject matter of U. S. Pat. No.3,087,458 granted to Bennett on Apr. 30, 1963. Another problem which hascontinually plagued these types of installations is the necessity for asecondary framework to support the cages in their vertically stackedposition. The solution to this problem normally has included thenecessity of a separate frame structure fabricated of many elements towhich the individual cages are mounted.

Yet another problem with a stacked cage unit is that with the pluralityof animals within a small confined area the odor often becomesobjectionable to visitors,

clients and to the workers themselves.

Prior art cages have solved some of the problems but none have solvedall. As noted above, the waste problem is attacked in the patent toBennett who incorporates a molded plastic cage element but his cagerequires a separate supporting framework and provides for ventilationonly through the air permeable door structure. Other. installations havehad the ability to be adequately ventilated by including one or more ofthe enclosing sections, in addition to the door, made of an airpermeable material but required a separate framework and presentedcleanliness problems since the permeable surface acts to collect dustand other foreign objects.

It would thus be desirable to have an animal cage which is self stackingto economize on floor space, one which does not need an external framestructure to enable the cages to be stacked one upon another. Further,it would be desirable to have a cage which was fabricated of a materialhaving a smooth inner surface such that the cage may be easily cleanedand one which is continuously vented rearwardly of the cage andexhausted to the outside to remove all of the objectionable odors fromthe cage holding facility.

In view of the above problems and objects it is a particular object ofthe present invention to provide an animal cage which includes as anintegral portion thereof a means whereby the cage is'stackable withoutthe necessity for external framework.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an animal cagewhich is fabricated of a molded fiber impregnated plastic or othersuitable material whereby the interior surface of the cage issubstantially smooth and easy to clean and yet allows ventilationtherethrough.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an animal cagewhich is substantially closed with the exception of the front portionwhich is permeable both for reasons of air circulation and for visualinspection and includes an open portion in the upper rear section of thecage allowing circulation of air through the cage without subjecting theanimal within the cage to undue draft conditions; not providing acollection place for foreign particles and yet providing a vent forobjectionable odors.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cagesystem wherein a plurality of cages are stacked within an enclosedplenum area which has a positive exhaust venting system. The air is thuscirculated inwardly through the front of each of the cages and outwardlythrough the rear portion thereof to be forced out to the atmosphereremoving the objectionable odor from the immediate area surrounding thefront portion of the cases as well as equalizing the temperaturethroughout the installation.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide animalcages which are stackable and molded of a fiber impregnated resinincluding as a portion thereof an upstanding hollow rib which serves notonly to support a cage stacked above but further has openings in theside of the rib extending to the interior of the cage whereby the cageis vented through the upstanding rib portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of ananimal cage system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale taken alonglines 22 of FIG. 1 illustrating the details of construction of thestackable venting features.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS As seen in the drawings, the systemof cages, which are the subject matter of the present invention, aregenerally designated as 2 and comprise a plurality of individual cageunits 4. The cages which may differ in size and closure gates shown ashinged, barred doors 5, are stacked vertically two or three highdepending upon the size of the cages and the vertical dimensions of theroom and horizontally from wall to wall for reasons to be explainedhereinafter. The lowermost cage rests upon a rigid platform 6 havingdownwardly depending legs including threaded leveling devices 8 toassure a vertical stack even though the floor may not be level. Thefront portion of the cage has an outwardly flared lip 10 around itsentire periphery, the lower part of which rests in a positionoverhanging the edge of the platform 6 providing positive alinementtherewith. The rear of the cage rests upon a compressible shockabsorbing and sound deadening element 12 thus making the cage morecomfortable for the tenant and giving it the proper orientation.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the cage itself comprises a unitary moldedgenerally rectangular shaped shell fabricated of a fiber impregnatedresin plastic such as fiberglas or alternatively unreinforced plastic,formed steel or the like. The use of material such as those mentionedprovides a smooth interior surface greatly assisting in the cleaningoperation as well as having sufficient structural integrity, providingthe necessary rigidity for stacking other units thereon. All of thewalls including bottom wall 12, end wall 16, top wall 18 and side walls20 are impermeable with the exception of an upwardly extending rib 22upon the top wall.

The rib 22 which is generally parallel to the front surface has agenerally flat upper surface 24 and openings 26 on the sides thereofwhich extend to the interior of the cage allowing gaseous circulationfrom the interior of the cage outwardly.

Thus, as is apparent, the cage is substantially a onepiece unit with theexception of the front which may be optionally closed with screened,barred or other hinged doors to allow visual inspection of the interiorof the cage as well as providing means for the entry of the necessaryair. As is well known, the doors may be hinged from one side, split inthe middle and hinged from both sides and further may include a smalldoor within the larger one permitting feeding or the like withoutproviding a means whereby the enclosed animal may escape.

When the cages are placed in a system such as shown in FIG. 1 the bottomportion of the front of the cages will be closed by a molding 30 whichseals the area betweeen the bottom most portion of the flange l and thesupporting structure. The gates or fronts of the cages as noted abovemay assume any one ofa variety of configurations but in general theywill close against the outwardly projecting flange l0 and be mountedupon hinges. As seen in FIG. 2, the second cage will stack upon thefirst cage with the downwardly depending flange l0 resting in the uppergrooved portion 34 of a framing element 32 which includes a downwardlyfacing groove 36 to receive the upwardly extending flange of the lowerunit and may include as an integral portion thereof a trough 38 to catchany spills.

A similar ventilation system including an upstanding rib 22 having slots26 is used with respect to the upper cage as was hereinabove describedwith respect to the lower and it will be noted that the compressiblesound absorbing member 12 rests upon the upper flat portion 24 of therib 22 thus providing support for the rear of the upper cage.

ln the event that the system of cages includes a stack of three verticalcages the third cage would interact with the second cage in a fashionsimilar to the manner in which the second cage interacts with the first.

For purposes of illustration a vertical stack of only two cages is shownand it can be seen that the outwardly projecting flange portion 10 atthe top of the second cage unit cooperates with an H-shaped frame member40 which has a lower groove to accept the flange l0 and an upper grooveto accept a wall 42 which encloses the upper portion of the cage system.

Although not shown in detail, the sides of the adjacent flanges 10 onadjacent vertical columns of the cages will be interconnected by joiningelements similar to the top frame member 40 thus holding each of thecages in a fixed vertical stack as well as interlocking adjacent stacks.

Thus it can be seen that when the cage system is used, a multiplicity ofstacked cages wil be enclosed by a front wall formed by the cage doors,the upper closing wall 42 and the lower molding 30. Sidewalls andbackwalls will be provided such that the main body portion of the cages4 will rest within an enclosed area which will serve as a plenum. Toprovide ventilation and offer airflow through the cages a fan 50 will bemounted upon an outer wall such that it continuously draws air inthrough the screened front doors of the cages out through the opening 26in the upper portion of the cages. The air is vented to the outsideatmosphere thus continuously removing any offensive odors from the areain the front of the cages.

Thus it can be seen that the use of the present inventive cage resultsin a great deal of economy in the fact that a separate frame structureis not necessary. The only element necessary besides the cages is theindependent frame member which serves to interlock two adjacent cages toprevent relative movement therebetween but which does not providestructural support.

The structural support for the entire cage is provided by the rigidityof the cage itself and its upwardly projecting rib element 22 acting inconjunction with the base portion of the next vertical cage element andby the relative positioning of the flanges l0. In addition to providinga self-stacking feature wherein the number of auxiliary parts is kept toa minimum, the present cage likewise provides a smooth interior surfacefor sanitary reasons as well as for a continual ventilation systemwherein all of the offensive odors may be drawn rearwardly to anenclosed plenum area which is then exhausted to the outside removing allof the normally offensive odors. The number of cage units within a givensystem will be determinative of the size of exhaust fan which shouldprovide a continuous air movement without causing a draft. The continualair circulation further serves to maintain a uniform temperaturethroughout the installation, preventing the buildup of hot stagnant air.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

l. A stackable animal cage comprising a generally rectangular hollow onepiece main body portion having continuous, impermeable side, bottom, endand top walls and an open front portion adapted to be closed by a hingedgate portion allowing air circulation and visual inspectiontherethrough, said top wall including an integral upstanding ribgenerally parallel to the end wall and spaced therefrom, said rib havinga solid top portion and an open bottom portion exposed to the interiorof the cage and having openings in the side portions allowing stale airwithin the cage to circulate outwardly through the openings in the rib,said rib further serving as the support for a second cage stacked uponthe first cage.

2. An animal cage as in claim 1 wherein a resilient member is secured tothe outside rear of the bottom portion providing a sound absorbing andshock absorbing rear leg placing the cage in proper orientation.

3. An animal cage as in claim 1 and further including an outwardlyextending peripheral flange at the front of the cage, said flangeserving as a mounting support for the door, a support for the front ofthe cage and as a part of the interlocking means for adjacent cageswhether vertical or horizontal.

4. A system as in claim 2 wherein each of the cages is made of moldedfiber impregnated plastic having smooth continuous side, end and bottomwalls.

5. A kennel system comprising; a plurality of cages with air permeabledoors stacked with their front ends substantially coplanar,

means sealing the portion surrounding the front ends whereby the onlyopening in the front of the system is the door of each cage, meansenclosing the sides, top, bottom and back of the area where the cagesare stacked thus forming a substantially closed plenum area,

means integral with each of the cages at the upper portion thereof,allowing air to flow therethrough, whereby natural air currents willmove air through an occupied cage, said means so located to preventinsertion of an occupant's appendage, and

means continuously evacuating air from the area where the cages arestacked whereby air is continuously circulated inwardly through thefront of the cage and then outwardly through the upper poropen to theinterior of the cage and includes openings in its side wall to allow airto flow therethrough.

8. A system as in claim 6 requiring no external framework, a peripheralflange at the front of the cage and the upstanding rib providing supportrespectively for the front and rear of the individual cage and theflange further providing means for interlocking adjacent cages.

1. A stackable animal cage comprising a generally rectangular hollow onepiece main body portion having continuous, impermeable side, bottom, endand top walls and an open front portion adapted to be closed by a hingedgate portion allowing air circulation and visual inspectiontherethrough, said top wall including an integral upstanding ribgenerally parallel to the end wall and spaced therefrom, said rib havinga solid top portion and an open bottom portion exposed to the interiorof the cage and having openings in the side portions allowing stale airwithin the cage to circulate outwardly through the openings in the rib,said rib further serving as the support for a second cage stacked uponthe first cage.
 2. An animal cage as in claim 1 wherein a resilientmember is secured to the outside rear of the bottom portion providing asound absorbing and shock absorbing rear leg placing the cage in properorientation.
 3. An animal cage as in claim 1 and further including anoutwardly extending peripheral flange at the front of the cage, saidflange serving as a mounting support for the door, a support for thefront of the cage and as a part of the interlocking means for adjacentcages whether vertical or horizontal.
 4. A system as in claim 2 whereineach of the cages is made of molded fiber impregnated plastic havingsmooth continuous side, end and bottom walls.
 5. A kennel systemcomprising; a plurality of cages with air permeable doors stacked withtheir front ends substantially coplanar, means sealing the portionsurrounding the front ends whereby the only opening in the front of thesystem is the door of each cage, means enclosing the sides, top, bottomand back of the area where the cages are stacked thus forming asubstantially closed plenum area, means integral with each of the cagesat the upper portion thereof, allowing air to flow therethrough, wherebynatural air currents will move air through an occupied cage, said meansso located to prevent insertion of an occupant''s appendage, and meanscontinuously evacuating air from the area where the cages are stackedwhereby air is continuously circulated inwardly through the front of thecage and then outwardly through the upper portions of the cage and thenout from the plenum area where the main body portion of the cages arestacked thus eliminating unpleasant odors from the area in the front ofthe cages.
 6. A system as in claim 5 wherein each of the cages includesat least one integral rib in its top surface adapted to support the cagestacked above it whereby no external framework is necessary.
 7. A systemas in claim 6 wherein the rib is hollow, open to the interior of thecage and includes openings in its side wall to allow air to flowtherethrough.
 8. A system as in claim 6 requiring no external framework,a peripheral flange at the front of the cage and the upstanding ribproviding support respectively for the front and rear of the individualcage and the flange further providing means for interlocking adjacentcages.